Pouring tube



March 1942- v .1. E; THOMAS 2,2

' POURING TUBE Filed March 29, 1941 W" X [HI IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 10, 1942 POURIN G TUBE James Edmond Thomas, Tarentum, Pa.

Application March 29, 1941, Serial No. 385,925

2 Claims.

1, This invention relates to a pouring tube used for directing molten metal from a ladle to a mold.

While pouring tubes are already used in the steel industry, all types with which I am, familiar have certain disadvantages which it is the object of the present invention to overcome.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, there are many kinds of steel and they all act differently while in a molten state. For example the common or open steelretains a certain amount of carbon, is cheaply made, is tapped.

from the furnace and poured hot and thin and frequently is wild and gassy. For steels of this type pouring tubes heretofore devised have been used satisfactorily. However, in the production of stainless and Allegheny steel, the

metal is killed or, mother words, all of the be minimum loss due to delay and resultant waste.

Because of their construction and arrangement, pouring tubes thus far devised have not worked efficiently in connection with high grade steels such as mentioned herein.

It is an object of the present, invention to provide a pouring tube which, aside from being inexpensive in construction, is readily connected to a ladle with little danger of breakage.

Another object is to provide a means whereby, when freezing of the metal occurs during the pouring operation (and, inthe handling of high grade steels, freezing begins usually while the third or fourth ingots are being poured) it is possible readily to reach the metal with a heating medium so as to prevent stoppage of the flow.

A further object is to provide a pouring tube which can be of any size desired to meet the requirements of the steel; is oversize to avoid resistance to the flow of the metal; and is capable of movement relative to the ladle to which it is attached so as thus to reduce the possibility of breakage due to faulty handling of the ladle by i the craneman.

A still further object is to provide a. loosely connected pouring tube which, however, during the pouring operation, will be moved upwardly by the rising metal in the mold, thereby being pressed tightly against the laddle which, thereafter, can be raised gradually to allow the tube gradually to rise within the mold.

In inferior or open steels, the pipes produced in pouring will weld to a certain extent during the rolling operation but this will not occur in high grade steels. Therefore it is another object of this invention to eliminate pipes by providing a pouring tube which can be used with hot tops and molds of difierent kinds.

A further object is to provide a tube which will eliminate splashing and give the same results as the old method of producing ingots by bottom pouring.

Another object is to provide tubes which can be quickly replaced in the event of breakage, thereby reducing losses to the minimum.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be v made in the construction and arrangement of the spirit of the Figure 5 is a View partly in section and partly in elevation showing the tube mounted on a mold for hand pouring.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference; I designates a ladle having the usual bottom outlet 2 and, in the present case, hooks 3 or the like are welded or otherwise suitably joined to the bottom of the ladle, the outlet 2 being located midway between them.

The pouring tube 4 is formed preferably of refractory brick clay but can be made of any suitable heat-resisting material. It has a flared or funnel-like upper end or fountain 5 the inner diameter and height of which is such as to prevent the molten metal from spilling and splashing during the pouring operation.

A portion of the flared end is cut away as at 6 V to afford access to the metal should it freeze while being poured, so as to enable the operator to apply heat to soften the steel.

Clamping strips 1 are fastened to the tube 4 at ner and will gravitate through outlet 2 tothe" tube and into the mold. The tube will be raisedby the rising level of metal in the mold and' thus pressed firmly at its upper end against the ladle. When the pouring into one mold is completed the tube is transferred to another-mold and the operation repeated. Should the metal stiffen or freeze during a succeeding pouring operation, atorch or other meanscan be used at the openingEB to soften it and avoid waste.

As the tube is loosely'connectedto the ladle while being movedtherewith, the danger of breakage due to i a careless glancing blow is greatly reduced. However should the tube become broken accidentally, a new one,- which can be held inreserve and in a=heated condition. can be substituted quickly. In practice-it haslbeen possible to make the change in'one minute or less; Obviously, therefore, waste duetodelay is avoided.- 1

When the tube is to be used when pouring by hand, it can be supported by a hot top T mounted on the mold M as in Figure 5, the strips 7 resting on the hot top as shown.

By using a tube as herein described it is possible to eliminate all defects due to top pouring, such as splashing, gas pockets, blow holes, open surface, etc. The tube can be used with all kinds of molds, regardless of size or the kind of steel used. Should it become excessively hot and melt, the material thereof would rise to the surface as slag and not affect the steel.

What is claimed is:

1. A tube for bottom pouring consisting of heat-resisting material having a flared, funnelagainst the ladle, saidtube having a flared u er end provided with an exposed unobstructed'heatreceiving opening in the side wall thereof, said' means including tube holding means extending in opposite directions from the tube',links con neoted to said means atpoints spaced laterally from and below the upper end of the tube, and

spaced means on the ladle for detachable'engagement by the links.

JAMES EDMOND THOMAS; 

